Now, this one is a practical thing which I played on a State Transport Bus Conductor while traveling to SKD, the place where I used to work.
It could have happened in 99-2000. On one of the Monday mornings, when I was in the lowest of my spirits to go to work, I boarded the usual bus to the town of P, which goes via the smaller towns of S, J, N and L. I used to get down at L to catch another bus to SKD.
Once I sat down in my seat I settled down with my book. The Conductor also did not seem to like his Monday morning! When he asked me to purchase the ticket, I produced a Rs.500.00 note and said one L please. The Conductor got annoyed and started shouting by saying how I could expect to get change for a Rs. 500.00 note so early in the morning. I answered that he could pay me once he has issued tickets to all and others have paid. Then the Conductor said that they did not accept Rs.500.00 notes on ST(for fear of accepting counterfeit notes). I told him that he should keep a list of numbers of the notes (generally made available by the concerned Dept) which were not to be accepted. He scowled at me and issued a ticket.
Even as the bus was climbing the hills, the Conductor had issued tickets to all the passengers and I noticed that he was returning the change to everyone. He was also accepting Rs.500.00 notes. I asked him to return my change. He said that he would return the money when I got down, implying, I would be paid my money back only at L. I was afraid of forgetting to ask the money back while getting down at L which was a good two hours drive away.
I started to think to find out ways to get my money back, without getting into a fight. As the bus was approaching S an idea occurred to me.
Quite a few people got down at S. The bus was half empty. When the last passenger for S got down, I too picked up my bag and got down. The Conductor asked me why I was getting down at S even when my ticket was up to L. I told him that I remembered an urgent work at a S and had to get down. I also asked for my money back. Grudgingly he paid my balance amount back. Even as he put the last coin in my palm, I held on to the supporting bar and climbed inside. The Conductor was surprised, got annoyed. He asked me why I was returning to the bus. I told him that I had changed my mind. He turned red when he realized that he was tricked. The fellow passengers had a hearty laugh.
I was so worked up by my ‘daring coup’ that I could not enjoy the joke. I felt the gaze of people on me and quietly sat down on an available seat. I did send a silent apology to the conductor in my heart and told myself that I did not mean to humiliate him, even though what I did amounted to that. It was only one of those lazy Monday mornings. I was immensely sorry for the Conductor, who like myself, was not liking his Monday morning!
